In short, the enlightenment privatized marriage, taking it out of the public sphere, and redefined its purpose as individual gratification, not any 'broader good' such as reflecting God's nature, producing character, or raising children. Slowly but surely, this newer understanding of the meaning of marriage has displaced the older ones in Western culture.

Suffering is actually at the heart of the Christian story.

Neither son loved the father for himself. They both were using the father for their own self-centered ends rather than loving, enjoying, and serving him for his own sake. This means that you can rebel against God and be alienated from him either by breaking his rules or by keeping all of them diligently. It 's a shocking message: Careful obedience to God's law may serve as a strategy for rebelling against God .

Jesus is the ultimate Job, the only truly innocent sufferer.

Nothing is more important than to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of painful adversity.

Faith is not opposed to reason, but it is sometimes opposed to feelings and appearances.

Prayer is our way of entering into the happiness of God himself